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mandorla
mandorla , [Ital.=almond], a medieval Christian artistic convention by which an oval or almond-shaped area or series of lines surrounds a deity, most commonly Jesus. The mandorla is thought to have derived from either Greek or Roman prototypes. Figures of deities were sometimes placed within semicircular outlines on Greek vases. The Romans surrounded portrait busts with medallions and shields. One of the earliest known uses of the mandorla in Christian iconography occurs in the 5th-century mosaics in the church of Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome. The principal applications of the mandorla, also sometimes termed aureole or vesica pisces, were in paintings depicting the Transfiguration, the Ascension, the Last Judgment, the Harrowing of Hell, and in symbolic portrayals of the evangelists and Christ in Majesty. The Virgin Mary and the major angels were also shown enclosed in a mandorla. The convention, like that of the halo, was discontinued during the Renaissance. See nimbus . |
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"mandorla." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "mandorla." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-mandorla.html "mandorla." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-mandorla.html |
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mandorla
mandorla (Italian: ‘almond’) (also called aureole or vesica piscis (Latin: ‘fish's bladder’)). An oval or almond-shaped aura (sometimes consisting of a series of radiating lines) enclosing or emanating from the body of a figure to indicate divinity or holiness. The device often appears in medieval and early Renaissance art, but then fell into disuse as more naturalistic ideals prevailed. It is most commonly found in portrayals of Christ, particularly in post-Resurrection scenes (but also notably in representations of the Transfiguration) when he is seen in his heavenly glory. The Virgin Mary, too, is often shown with a mandorla and she and Christ sometimes share one.
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IAN CHILVERS. "mandorla." The Oxford Dictionary of Art. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. IAN CHILVERS. "mandorla." The Oxford Dictionary of Art. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O2-mandorla.html IAN CHILVERS. "mandorla." The Oxford Dictionary of Art. 2004. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O2-mandorla.html |
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mandorla
mandorla. Almond-shaped figure composed of two vertical arcs each passing through the other's centre, enclosing a panel, called aureole, halo, or vesica piscis, and often found in a Gothic tympanum of a doorway.
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JAMES STEVENS CURL. "mandorla." A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JAMES STEVENS CURL. "mandorla." A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O1-mandorla.html JAMES STEVENS CURL. "mandorla." A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. 2000. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O1-mandorla.html |
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mandorla
mandorla another term for vesica piscis. The word is Italian, and means literally ‘almond’, referring to the pointed oval shape of the figure.
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "mandorla." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "mandorla." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-mandorla.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "mandorla." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-mandorla.html |
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Mandorla
Mandorla (almond-shaped aureole): see HALO.
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JOHN BOWKER. "Mandorla." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN BOWKER. "Mandorla." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Mandorla.html JOHN BOWKER. "Mandorla." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Mandorla.html |
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